Man charged in officer-involved shooting

The man shot by a highway patrolman has been indicted on assault charges, and the trooper who pulled the trigger has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

A Gaston County grand jury has handed down indictments for Jeremy Terrell Lewis on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Lewis was injured during a traffic stop on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

Trooper Christopher Wade was conducting a routine traffic stop, when Lewis attempted to flee, according to Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell who gave statements to the media at the scene of the shooting.

Bell said Lewis attempted to escape by driving up an embankment near B&B Antique & Artisan Mall on West Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia. Lewis allegedly backed up, rammed the trooper’s car and tried to pin Wade between his vehicle and the patrol car. Though he's a convicted felon, Lewis allegedly had a gun on the floorboard of his Honda Accord when he was pulled over.

Lewis was taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with serious injuries. Wade went to CaroMont Regional Medical Center where he was later released.

Dash cam footage

Because it was an officer-involved shooting, the State Bureau of Investigation came in to investigate then submit a report to Bell.

Bell said he reviewed dash cam footage and video recorded on cameras outside of an area business before clearing Wade and taking the matter to the grand jury.

"It showed very clearly that he was justified in the shooting," Bell said.

Bell said he will not release footage from the car or the store because they are crucial parts of the case against Lewis. The prosecutor said he also would not discuss the case until it's resolved.

Wade joined the Highway Patrol in March. He had just been released from training on Dec. 23. Wade was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, which is standard protocol during an officer-involved shooting investigation.

Prior convictions

Lewis has spent time in federal and state prison.

In 2005, Lewis pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Earlier that year, Lewis and another man approached four Shelby people at a Gastonia bowling alley, threatened them and began firing shots into their vehicle. One bullet came through the rear window, striking a man in the back of the head. The shooting victim survived, and Lewis spent four years in prison for the crime.

In 2013, Lewis pleaded guilty in federal court to knowingly and unlawfully using, carrying or possessing a firearm during a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime and aid and abetting to unlawful possession or transport of a firearm and/or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Lewis was sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison. He served about three years of that term before being paroled, then was arrested again in June on allegations of possessing a firearm as a felon. He was released Oct. 7 on federal work release, according to the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office website.

Still recovering

Hollis Lipscomb has two children with Lewis. She described the 31-year-old man as a devoted father who was trying to turn his life around.

"He has really been trying. He was all about his daughter, making himself better for her," she said. "He loved to get her on and off the bus. He just made bad decisions but was trying to get past all that."

Lewis is still recovering in the Charlotte hospital. He is still not able to talk, Lipscomb said. He will not be booked into jail until he's well enough to be released from the hospital.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and Twitter.com/GazetteDiane.